Field
The present disclosure relates generally to surveillance technology, and more specifically to techniques for data collection relevant to wireless device activity.
Background
The corrections industry has a unique need for the highest level of safety and security. Contraband cellular telephones and other wireless devices in correctional institutions can pose a significant threat to the safety of the public, prison staff and other prisoners. For example, inmates with unauthorized cellular telephone access have used them to conduct illegal activities such as organizing and running various criminal enterprises, encouraging and coordinating riots, intimidating witnesses, ordering hits, arranging for the delivery of other types of contraband into the facility, furthering gang activity, and the like.
To achieve the need for oversight and prevention of unauthorized cellular activity at a correctional institution, it is desirable to have a system that effectively manages and permits authorized wireless communications, such as emergency cellular telephone phone calls and calls made by prison officials, while concurrently preventing unauthorized wireless activity conducted within the facility. It is further desirable to gather relevant and potentially actionable data concerning the unauthorized use of such wireless devices by individuals at that institution.
These objectives have traditionally been achieved, in part, using a managed access system (MAS) at the institution. A MAS is a system that deploys a secure cellular umbrella over a specified area within the bounds of the institution to either permit or to interfere with transmissions of mobile wireless devices within the facility. The MAS can prevent unauthorized cell phones from sending and receiving calls, text messages and data transmissions. When a cellular device is powered on, it typically scans for compatible signals from base stations in the area and locks onto a compatible base station with the highest quality signal. The MAS is a network of small cellular sites within the prison walls. This network transmits a signal that is stronger than the carrier's base stations, causing all cellular phones within the covered area to connect to the prison network instead. The system can identify individual cellular telephones and SIM cards using information sent by the phones themselves. Transmissions from authorized devices may be passed onto the carrier's network over an internet connection. Transmissions from unauthorized devices can be interrupted and the wireless activity thereby prevented.
Correctional facilities have employed various software systems for managing authorized wireless activity and for preventing unauthorized wireless activity. These systems, however, have a number of shortcomings. For example, many such systems lack adequate functionality to support the process of gathering actionable data for investigators. Further, these available systems lack remote management and oversight capability for authorized users located outside of the correctional institution. In addition, the available computing infrastructures are restricted to providing local oversight of one facility, at that facility. In the case where a supplier of MAS technology has been tasked with providing solutions for a number of different correctional facilities in different geographical regions, present systems available to the supplier lack an integrated control and management structure for these different facilities.
The present disclosure addresses these and other shortcomings.